Psychic self-regulation (JDP). So, the main method of mental self-regulation are words and mental images corresponding to words. Their strength can be used in two directions – pedagogical and medical. Here we will talk mainly about the medical direction – but not from well-known therapeutic positions, but in the light of the new, non-therapeutic use of AKP, which, at the suggestion of the head of the department of psychotherapy TSOLIUV Professor V.Ye. Rozhnova received the name of the socio-preventive aspect of mental self-regulation. The essence of this aspect is theprevention of disorders of the neuropsychic sphere in healthy people in those specific areas of activity where distress situations often arise that can injure the psyche, and through it many other systems of the body.

As for teachers, they have long ago proposed such methods of mental self-regulation as self-exclusion, self-order, and self-conviction.

It must be said that these methods of mental self-regulation quite often provide substantial help. But, unfortunately, not always. The fact is that quite often due to an increase in the number of distress situations, there have been cases when the body “does not obey” self-sabotage or self-order. That is, following the very correct thoughts and words spoken by the person to himself, those necessary physiological changes do not occur in his body, without which the psychic principle (thoughts and words) is not properly implemented and remains, so to speak, an empty sound. Suppose a person ordered himself: “Calm down!” – but the heart continues to beat feverishly, breathing remains quickened and superficial, muscles – strained and constrained, and thoughts in the head – erratic.

The difference between the medical method (self-hypnosis) and pedagogical (for example, self-conviction) is as follows. Persuading himself in something, a person relies on certain logical arguments. By instilling something into oneself, one can act around logic, using mainly the possibilities that are embodied in such a powerful mental process as unquestioning faith.

So, being in a room, we are not able (even resorting to the most sophisticated logical conclusions) to convince ourselves that at the moment we were lying on the beach by the sea. But with the help of self-suggestion such an effect can be achieved. It is also impossible to convince oneself, for example, that the injured organ is not in pain. Instill yourself that there is no pain,   – the task is simple.

Nature has in different ways endowed people with the ability to psychic self-regulation, to self-suggestion. Outstanding athletes have a very high degree of self-regulation, sometimes not even fully aware of its mechanisms. High ability to psychic self-regulation is given to them, as they say, like birds to wings.

In his book, the five-time world champion in classical wrestling Viktor Igumenov said that 28 days before the country’s championship in 1965, his appendix was removed, and yet four days after the operation he ran away from the hospital and, overcoming the pain, began to train. He was defeated in the first meeting, but it so angered him that in all the others he managed to win and for the first time won the gold medal of the USSR champion.

Further V. Igumenov writes (think carefully about his words – they are written, as they say, with the blood of the heart): “For myself, I made an important discovery: the inner abilities of a person are inexhaustible ! It is all a matter of willpower, in full mobilization of the body. Trauma, pain can interfere with bright, effective performance, but they cannot prevent them from winning! The athlete, if necessary, is obliged to act through the “I can not” on the teeth. Emotions, will overlap pain. If so, then through will I can win in the most hopeless situations … “(singled out by me.   – A.A.)

And what is the will if, without going into scientific definitions, to evaluate it from the point of view of practical mental hygiene? This is the ability to control oneself, the ability to overcome difficulties. But after all, the basis of the ability to control oneself is constituted by the processes of psychic self-regulation, used either by an ordinary logical way or relying on an unquestioning belief in one’s own strength, that is, on mechanisms of self-suggestion.

Many will ask: what to do to those whom nature has not endowed with such a high ability to control themselves? The answer is: do not be disappointed! Each of us is endowed with this ability to a greater or lesser extent. And if so, then this ability can and should be developed – through daily and systematic exercises of one’s psyche. It is all a matter of a clear understanding of the fact that it is with the help of psychic self-regulation that the set goal can be achieved more quickly; that owning self-suggestion means always to have in your hands a reliable and useful force. The one who truly realizes this will always find 10–20 minutes a day for purposeful training of his brain, his psyche.

When it comes to self-hypnosis, they usually begin to ask about yogis. Yes, indeed, one of the first yoga began to apply this method. Their system appeared long before our era. Its purpose is to make a person perfect. But not for everyday life, but in order to achieve the highest, in the opinion of yogis, happiness – communication, “merging” with the gods. This blissful state – the renunciation of worldly ordinariness and the “dissolution” in the divine principle — yogis call “samadhi” or “nirvana”. In order to achieve this state, a system of self-suggestion was developed – self-regulation of various functions of the body.

When European and American scientists began to get acquainted with the system of yoga, it soon became apparent to them that for solving many purely practical problems this system is very complex and takes a lot of time to master. Therefore, denying yoga in its pristine, pure form, the doctors did not abandon the very principle of self-hypnosis , the possibility of using self-hypnosis to regulate various functions of the human body. Especially a lot and successfully dealt with this problem in the late XIX – early XX century P. Levy, E. Coue, S. Baudouin in France; E. Krechmer in Germany; I.R. Tarkhanov, V.M. Bekhterev in Russia; a number of other professionals in different countries.

But if we talk about the current stage in the development of the method of self-suggestion, then its beginning can be dated quite accurately. This is the year 1932, when the book “Autogenic training” by the German psychiatrist Johann Heinrich Schultz was published.